Music on Main Street

Linden likes music.

So what did Linden townspeople do when its heritage foundation announced the following:

A Friday evening of music on Main Street

The closing of the street to cars while opening it to foot traffic and people with chairs

Free watermelon slices, snow cones, iced drinks and popcorn for all, and fire hats and Crayolas for children

Music by a group of really talented musicians

When all this was announced, did the citizens stay home on Friday night?

Not a chance. They came. They danced. And what’s more, they talked.

That was the real purpose, said Main Street Program Director Allie Anderson, whose organization joined with the Linden Chamber of Commerce to assist the Linden Heritage Foundation with its community-music idea.

“Closing down a main street downtown and having a music fest is really a timeless idea to congregate and enjoy the community you live in,” Anderson said. “We all want to get back to that feeling, and in Linden we are still able to hold on to that feeling. That’s the key.”

The idea was first proposed by the Linden Heritage Foundation as a way to raise awareness. The Linden Chamber of Commerce and the Linden Main Street Program jumped in.

So for about three hours Friday, the first block of North Main Street off the square was closed down, and people brought out their chairs to sit in the shade of the tall buildings and listen to music while being served watermelon, ice drinks and friendly hellos.

“I am tremendously impressed with the number of people who showed up,” foundation board secretary Gail Dorgan said. “It’s Linden coming together to promote itself.”

“The Linden Chamber of Commerce has been discussing how we could bring music back downtown,” added chamber member Luci Trahan. “This is great.”

Trahan also took a moment to invite the public to chamber meetings.

“We meet at the Linden Garden Club building on the first Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. after everyone’s work. We’d love to have anyone come and share with us their ideas. We really would,” she said.

Much of the street music’s success resulted from the work performed by volunteers and their contributions. The musicians played for free, Ray Werline gave the watermelons and Crump Foods Store—along with Chicken Express—contributed food and drink. The Linden-Kildare Middle School band majorettes performed and youth from New Colony Baptist Church assisted in serving.

n BELOW LEFT: It’s a lot of fun to make free snow cones for people celebrating their hometown on a hot day. Angelyna Meggs watches as her Linden school friend Strider Myers prepares a strawberry treat.

Staff photos by Neil Abeles n ABOVE LEFT: The music of Music on Main Street is so good that Janet Points and Jana Bounds get up to dance. The band musicians in the background are Johnny Points, Donnie Lowry, Randy Turner, John Bankhead, Scott Venable, Glenn McGill and Bill Cox.

n BELOW RIGHT: Britney Burbridge, left, and Gail Dorgan serve the free watermelon slices donated by Ray Werline for the Music on Main Street festival Friday in Linden.

n Main Street board members Robert Luzio, from left, Terressa Wall, Luci Trahan and Anderson are supporting Music on Main Street and selling the popular Linden civic T-shirts. Allie

n Laynie Daniels, left, and Emma Williams are enjoying the Music on Main Street on Friday evening in downtown Linden. They liked the colors, fire hats and snow cones.